Prairie Village's two mayoral candidates drew sharp lines on taxes, debt and the city's 2027 budget in a written questionnaire published by the Johnson County Post on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Council President Cole Robinson defended the city's fiscal record. Councilmember Inga Selders called the $27 million bond for a new municipal complex "a mistake" and pledged to push for a Revenue Neutral Rate if elected.

In-person early voting begins Saturday, Oct. 17, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The questionnaire asked whether Prairie Village is living within its means. The city's 2027 budget holds the property tax rate flat while general fund spending, including transfers, grows 3.4%. The county's public safety sales tax, which sends some revenue to cities, expires in 2027. Under the budget, the median household's municipal property tax bill would be about $970 a year.

Robinson: City is on solid ground

Robinson, who has represented Ward 1 since 2021, wrote that the 3.4% spending increase matches the current rate of inflation. He pegged the city's share of the median monthly property tax bill at $80.80.

He pointed to Prairie Village's AAA bond rating and said the city holds the second-lowest debt-to-assessed-value ratio of any first-class city in Kansas, even after approving the municipal campus project. That project includes a police department expansion, adjacent land purchase and a new city hall.

Robinson wrote that he has supported two property tax rate reductions during his five years on the council, calling them "the only ones made in decades." He also cited expansions of the city's property tax rebate program for residents on fixed incomes.

Selders: Flat rate masks rising bills

Selders, who has represented Ward 2 since 2019, argued that a flat tax rate obscures the real cost to homeowners.

"Because home valuations are surging, our residents are paying significantly more out of pocket," she wrote. "For seniors trying to age in place and young families trying to build a life here, this continued tax growth is unsustainable."

The gap between them is wide.

She called the $27 million municipal complex bond an "extreme outlier" compared to standard infrastructure projects and said the council should have put it to a public vote. She also flagged future expenses, including community pool renovations.

Selders pledged to honor what Kansas calls the Revenue Neutral Rate, which she said would deliver real property tax relief. She said she would audit the city budget, cut administrative waste and champion an ordinance requiring voter approval for any general obligation bond over $10 million.

Both Robinson and Selders are sitting councilmembers running to succeed Mayor Eric Mikkelson, who announced earlier this year he would not seek a third term, according to the Post's candidate profile published Oct. 9.

The Post plans to publish additional questionnaire responses on topics including the future of Corinth Library. Johnson County residents can find early voting information through the county election office ahead of the Nov. 3 election.